My Pastor, Pete http://withoutwax.tv/ , made a good point today at church. He said that the reason “the church” has picked on homosexuality so much over the last many decades was because it was something that they (Christians) didn’t seem to struggle with. Therefore, it was so easy to throw stones at the gay community. I agree! Thank God for people like Ted Haggard and all of the child molesting priests, because now the modern, judgmental church realizes that it’s not just “non-Christians” that struggle with homosexual lust.

Rubel Shelly http://www.rubelshelly.com/ was the first person I ever heard say that we should invite alcoholics and homosexuals to church. At that time, I was a practicing alcoholic, and boy did I practice, LOL. Seriously, lets put this in the form of a joke or a game show question: A homosexual, a young unmarried woman (who just had sex with her boyfriend that morning) and a husband who is having an affair all walk into a church. Which one is going to Heaven? (BUZZZ) “I know the answer, as long as they all accept Jesus Christ and repent of their lustful sin, all of them!” (Ding, ding, ding!) “You’re right, and what do we have behind door # 1 for our contestants? That’s right, an all exclusive paid for (by Jesus Christ), life long vacation away from playing God.”

I am ready for that vacation myself, because the reality is, “I am just a Christian who struggles with heterosexual lustful sin on a daily basis.” I know that my permanent vacation will be in Heaven, but while I am here “at work” on earth, I will be damned if I give somebody else a hard time for screwing up on a job, after I just screwed up earlier that same day, but on a different project.

If anyone is curious why I got out of the Marine Corps, just watch some of the characters in the HBO series “Generation Kill.” That dumbass Sgt Maj and the “self-righteous” Lt Col. is exactly what I experienced in Iraq. Except our Sgt Maj was a black man that should have stayed a drill instructor his entire career and our Lt Col. was a decorated USMC Generals son. In order for me to get some resentments off of my chest, I have decided to go all the way to the top and ask Donald “Duck” Rumsfield some questions. To those who say, “why not President Bush,”I suggest you watch Oliver Stone’s movie “W,” where I believe President Bush was accurately played out to be a scapegoat (Not stupid, just very naive). We all have friends that are smart individuals, but extremely gullible. That was my impression of our former president, when I met him (above).

So here we go Donny, boy:

1) Did you tell the President that we were invading a country in the desert in “Woodland Camo” MOP suits?

2) Did you make sure all of the grunts had proper night vision (batteries, too) and body armor?

3) Did you tell him that Marines would be driving on the front lines in Humvee’s with no doors, while the Air Force “chilled out” in the rear with vehicles that had armor installed and bullet proof glass?

4) Did you tell the him that if we let all the bad guys go, because we were unprepared logistically for 100,000 + prisoners of war, that there was a pretty good chance that they would come back and kill our buddies the next year?

5) Final question: Did you have a “f#%king” clue how to run this war?

Wait, wait! I know this one: “No way!” I read Tommy Franks book, and I believe he was irresponsible and way too busy trying to please his fellow Texan President. YOU, sir, should have made sure all of these basic needs were met. However, you did not! Therefore, I hope Oliver North covers you on his “Military blunders” show someday, but until then, thanks for nothing. This day (Memorial Day) is about remembrance and I wish I could waterboard you until you could remember all of the names of the men that died under your “failed” leadership. Have a nice life! By the way, when is your book, entitled “I Suck,” coming out?

I know that there are way too many blogs writing about this, but I have to point out that Ms. Prejean even said “no offense to anyone…” Would a gay rights activist be polite enough to say “no offense..?” I respect her for standing up for her beliefs. Heck, she probably would’ve won with a more politically correct answer. See, I don’t care about the laws. Do I think abortion is murder? Probably. Do I think any homosexual act is immoral? Definitely, yes. Did I commit a form of lust today? Yes. Therefore, does the U.S. need to make lustful thoughts against the law and punishable by death? No, because then there would be no men left on earth to run for Senate or preach Hell, fire & brimstone sermons from the pulpit. Seriously, if we disagree with someones decision or lifestyle, then we should pray for them and let God do the judging. Let’s debate/fight for OUR rights, not someone elses. Oh, and by the way, it’s called free speech, Mr. Hilton. Look it up! It was our first right in this country and the reason you can cuss her out on the internet.

The above photo is from 2004. In it are two of my best friends from the USMC: Griffin (left) and Sprunger (right). April 4, 2003 was a day that we will never forget. Sprunger surprised me by coming into Nashville this weekend(4/4/09) from Pittsburgh, I might add. We had both forgotten the anniversary of Erik Silva’s death until Griffin called and reminded us.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing…..19 Do not quench the Spirit (quench-to put out or extinguish).

For most of my life, I have driven with God somewhere in the backseat of the car of life. And by the way, ‘the car of life’ is a 1971 Chevelle SS. Sometimes I would kick him out, but he would hold on underneath like “Indiana Jones.” I was at my best when he was riding “shotgun,” which was rare. For the last 2 years I have been practicing letting God drive and not because I heard Carrie Underwood’s song “Jesus take the Wheel.” I have always liked songs about driving, though. Whether it is Alan Jackson’s “Drive,” Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown” or Pearl Jam’s “Rear view Mirror.” In Robert Frost’s days it was about a path, because cars were still new. To my generation, “Life is a Highway.” Boy, could I get anymore Cliché. I am just thankful now that God is riding shotgun and we are taking shifts at the wheel. Hopefully, one of the days I will let him drive all the time. God cruise control!

I used to pray at scheduled times (ie. dinner, bed, chapel, church). Lately, I have been talking to God all day. Society says that you are crazy if you talk to someone that is not present in the physical sense or if you have voices in your head. Then I guess I am crazy. I think it is the most sane way to live, if you are a believer. In college I would hear Atheist professors of sociology refer to what I knew was the Holy Spirit as “a conscience.” I cannot go through life living the way God wants me to live unless I pray constantly and listen to the Holy Conscience.